Ruby Yacht sets sail

Randal Bravery - Ruby Yacht — Milwaukee-based musician Randal Bravery.
Photo: Dominic Alcantra

Randal Bravery is a Milwaukee-based musician, beat maker and rapper. An affiliate of the Ruby Yacht maker’s guild, Bravery strives to live as an artist and through his art.

Drawing inspiration widely — from video-game nostalgia to anime sampling, Bravery explores his own sense of reality through his catalog of beats and raps.

Recently, he went on tour with Ruby Yacht to the West Coast. When performing live, members of Ruby Yacht emcee and add a live aspect to the beats behind the rhymes. The result of this onstage collaboration is an exciting, interactive experience. Watching the crew improvise and “vibe out” in their live performances creates an elevated level of entertainment.

Even more, Bravery’s live work is a look into beat creation and rapping as performance art, with an emphasis on free expression.

Bravery also performs with his other projects, lo-fi psych group Antilia Raid and the noise rock outfit Carbon Bangle.

In a recent interview, Bravery discusses his influences and songwriting process.

Wisconsin Gazette: What are some of your first experiences with music?

Randal Bravery: I feel like my first experience is probably listening to music from video games and vibing with that, hanging out with my brothers and stuff. I also listened to music that was played in the house. My grandmother played a lot of gospel, blues and soul.

When did you become interested in hip-hop music?

It’s always there. Just growing up in America, it’s a part of the deal. I started really getting into it the later years of high school. When I started getting older, it felt natural to take the music I was making at the time and orienting it and adding hip-hop elements to the sound.

How do you apply your various influences to the music you make today?

I feel like the samples I pick are definitely that kind of vibe. It’s very feel-good. I don’t play video games as much recently, but I have a lot of their soundtracks on my computer. I vibe out to those a lot.

What is your song-writing process?

It depends. There are times when I have a game or movie playing and I have my sampler hooked up to the TV. I can get good things from that and I will build up on it. Sometimes I will be just messing around on drums or something, come up with a cool groove and expand on that.

If you were to describe your music, what would you call it?

Trip hop probably.

Is there a sense of nostalgia in your music?

I suppose there is always a sense of nostalgia, yet there is a contemporary weirdness applied to it. It’s hard to say. It seems pretentious to say it’s futuristic.

Tell me about your approach to collaboration in your music creation.

I only collaborate with people that I’ve known for a while. It’s less about music as work. It’s more about hanging out with my friends and trying to make something that sounds cool. We will putz around and show each other work. Outside of the Ruby Yacht crew, I don’t collaborate much. I have collaborated with my guitar player, Terrance Barrett. We have a post-punk psych rock band in Madison. Antilia Raid is just me and him. We also have a trio called Carbon Bangle. He writes those songs and I write the lyrics on top.

How would you compare your solo work to your collaborations?

I suppose when I perform by myself I have the freedom to do whatever I want without being restricted by anyone. I enjoy collaborating with the homies. A combination of energies is nice. It’s useful to look back at.

In your own words, what is Ruby Yacht?

Ruby Yacht is the essence of yourself. It’s being proud of your work and expressing yourself to the fullest without feeling confined by anyone else’s perceptions. We try and make a living doing it.

You put out music frequently. What else have you been working on?

I’m always working on things. I’m taking time right now to work more with Carbon Bangle and playing out in Madison. We recently went on tour and I’m working on a rap tape with SB the Moor called Two Brothers In a Park Playing Chess. We recorded while we were on tour on the West Coast. We played with Kenny Segal. He’s a good homie — we always have a good time together. Playing the Airliner was great. I have been there a couple of times to see Low End Theory. I always enjoy seeing people that I’ve met through touring again.

What kind of music have you been listening to?

I’ve been trying to find more post-punk bands. I’ve been trying to get some things going in the fall. I’ve been trying to follow local stuff. There are some bands from Philly called Palm and En Route that are really great. When I hang out with Terrance Barrett, I listen to a lot of Omar Rodriguez Lopez. I’ve been listening to a lot of Japanese jazz and soul. Lately, I’ve been listening to Peruvian soul music from the ’60s. I find samples from the tracks. It usually has the same feel. I try to add a sense of darkness to it as well.

How do you distinguish your rock performance from your hip-hop work?

When I do hip-hop work, it happens to have a different feel. It’s more about having fun. When I play rock ‘n’ roll, I draw from different points of aggression. I project the message more clearly. It’s a different message.

What are the messages?

It’s about being black in America. It’s about the pressure of society. When I’m making vibe stuff, I don’t want to bum anyone out. When I’m doing the rock things, I feel like I can properly portray that message.

Do you feel that being in Milwaukee is particularly difficult?

I feel like being in Wisconsin is kind of like that. I grew up in Wisconsin. It’s rough for a black person. It’s a cold place. I wouldn’t say Milwaukee, in particular, is difficult. … Here, everyone is trying to ignore the humanity in others. The weird distances people put between themselves. It’s the only place where I’ve been walking on a sidewalk and someone will lock their car door. I lived in L.A. for a little bit. That was a different racial tension. …

Is struggle a form of inspiration for you?

No. I would say that trying to deal with my frustrations and sadness or anger. That is my inspiration.

Who are some Milwaukee artists that you like?

Sundial Mottos. Apollo Vermouth. Ken Sabbar. I played in a band with him a while ago. Milo recently moved to Maine, so I can’t say him. Adoptahighway is good. I’ve been trying to avoid too much outer influence. I don’t want to sound like other people. I listen to podcasts instead.

What is coming up for you?

I don’t think I’m going to play any beat sets in Milwaukee. When I travel, it makes me feel better to perform my beats.